Making Sense of School Reports
In the next few weeks schools will be sending out reports for each child in their care. School reports are just one of the ways schools share information about your child’s progress toward grade-level expectations. These reports, provided twice a year, give insights into your child’s academic, social and emotional development. They are a formal means of communication between the school and parents, designed to provide an overview of your child’s progress and development. It is not necessary for children to read their reports directly. Instead, parents are encouraged to discuss key messages—such as areas of focus, effort, and growth—with their child in a supportive and age-appropriate way.
Understanding the Grading Scale
For students in Years 1–10, reports usually include a grade from A to E (or an equivalent scale):
A: Outstanding understanding and application of knowledge in a range of new and complex situations.
B: High-level understanding, applying knowledge to familiar and some new situations.
C: Meeting expectations; demonstrates knowledge in familiar contexts.
D: Basic understanding; limited application, requiring support.
E: Limited; application requiring significant support.
Kindergarten reports may look a bit different with a reduced grading scale:
· Exceeding grade level expectations
· Meeting grade level expectations
· Working toward grade level expectations
However, grades represent only one aspect of a student’s overall learning journey.
Look Beyond the Grades
Take note of your child’s effort and engagement. Are they showing persistence, completing tasks to the best of their ability, and demonstrating responsibility for their learning? These indicators often reflect their confidence, motivation, and readiness to learn. If your child is showing signs of decreased effort and engagement with their learning, further investigation may be necessary.
Consider whether your child is developing the foundational skills needed to access learning. Are there areas where additional support could help them engage more fully or show what they know?
What About Social Development?
Don’t overlook the social and emotional aspects of the report. Look for indicators like:
Cooperation and kindness toward peers
Ability to express needs and advocate for themselves
Participation in group tasks or classroom discussions
Does your child have friendships and feel included? Do they understand the unspoken “rules” of social interaction—the hidden curriculum that isn't always taught directly? If academic challenges are impacting their confidence or peer relationships, it’s important to address both areas together. Your child's wellbeing at school is equally important—if not foundational—to their success in learning.
Talk to the Teacher
Open communication between families and teachers is key. If something in the report raises questions or concerns, consider arranging a time to discuss it directly with your child’s teacher. Your child’s teacher can offer valuable insights. Some questions you might want to ask are:
What are your child’s strengths and current challenges?
How is the school supporting them?
What can you do at home?
Would additional support from a specialist (a speech pathologist, occupational therapist, psychologist or learning support teacher) be beneficial?
When to Look Deeper
If your child is struggling to meet year-level expectations, there may be underlying factors worth exploring. It is important that children get support as soon as difficulties are identified.
Some children may have a known diagnosis, such as autism, cerebral palsy, or intellectual disability, but many do not. These difficulties often occur on their own and may be linked to:
Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, or dyscalculia
A psychologist can assess a child for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD). A paediatrician may also be involved in the diagnosis and ongoing treatment of ADHD. It is important to note that students must have ongoing, persistent learning difficulties and have received targeted intervention for at least 6 months before a SLD can be diagnosed.
Celebrate Growth and Set Goals
Take time to acknowledge your child’s growth—whether it’s academic progress, increased effort, or social development. Then, help them set a realistic personal goal for the next semester. This might be:
Building a new friendship
Completing homework regularly through short consistent practice
Improving confidence in a specific subject
Recognising when support is needed and asking a teacher for help
Developing independence in daily routines, such as packing their school bag or getting dressed each morning
Speech Pathology Support
Did you know that children with speech or language disorders are more likely to experience academic difficulties—even when their thinking skills are average? They may also face greater social and emotional challenges.
Speech pathologists play a vital role in supporting children with learning difficulties by strengthening the oral language skills that underpin all areas of learning. We support literacy development through targeted intervention in phonological awareness and systematic synthetic phonics for word-level reading and spelling, grammar development for reading comprehension and sentence construction, and vocabulary building to enhance both oral and text understanding and written expression. Additionally, we work on social and emotional communication to help students build confidence in interacting with peers, teachers, and the wider school community.
Get in touch with me today to discuss how I can support your child’s communication and learning needs.
Melanie Broadbent - Speech Pathologist